The present invention is directed to an adjustable assembly for adjusting the height of a drain inlet for draining a fluid from an area.
It is frequently desirable to drain fluids, such as standing water from areas in which it accumulates for example during wet weather in the spring or during periods of flood. For example, it is desirable to drain the water from low spots or terraces in agricultural fields to improve the crops and/or the soil when drained.
In the past, such drainage has been accomplished by way of drain tile which is buried beneath the surface of the soil and upstanding inlets which are spaced periodically along the length of the tile and which open above the soil surface and into the area where the water has accumulated to drain the area through the buried drain tile. In such systems some form of grate or screen is usually positioned as a drain inlet at the opening to the upstanding inlet on the drain tile in order to prevent debris which may be in the water from flowing through the inlet and into the drain tile where it can rapidly clog the drain tile and prevent further drainage.
Various screen or grate devices have been employed in the past for this purpose. One such drain inlet is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,783.
In a typical drain assembly a tubular coupling cylinder is positioned to extend into an upwardly facing opening on the inlet to the drain tile. The length of that coupling cylinder is then adjusted by cutting at a desired location along its length so that the upper end of the coupling cylinder extends just above the level of the soil. The bottom discharge end of the drain inlet, for example as shown in the aforementioned patent, is then inserted into the open top end of the cut to length coupling cylinder. The respective tubular coupling cylinders at each drain location are typically customized in length by cutting because in most cases the distance between the drain tile inlet and the soil surface can vary considerably from one location in the field to another.
The adjustable assembly of the present invention overcomes the cumbersome need to manipulate, calculate and cut the individual coupling cylinders to differing and correct lengths during installation. In the present invention, the length of the coupling cylinder can be easily and rapidly adjusted by simply screwing one of its parts into another part to easily, rapidly and accurately adjust the overall length of the coupling cylinder to its desired length.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, an adjustable coupling assembly for adjusting the height of a drain inlet for draining a fluid from an area comprises a first tubular cylinder having a first end which is constructed to be attached to the inlet of a drain tile, and a second tubular cylinder having a first end which is constructed to be attached to the discharge of the drain inlet. One of the tubular cylinders has an end which is constructed to extend into the other tubular cylinder. A spiral groove is on one of the tubular cylinders and extends over a substantial portion of the length of that tubular cylinder. At least one projection is on the other tubular cylinder and is positionable to extend into the spiral groove, whereby when one of the tubular cylinders is rotated relative to the other tubular cylinder, the projection moves along the spiral groove to adjust the total combined length of the first and second tubular cylinders and the height of the drain inlet.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the first tubular cylinder has a second end which extends into a second end of the second tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the projection is on the first tubular cylinder and the spiral groove is on the second tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, a plurality of projections are spaced from each other around the circumference of the tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the projections are spaced from each other on the first tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, openings extend through the wall of the first tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, openings extend through the wall of the second tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the openings which extend through the wall of the second tubular cylinder are slots between flights of the spiral groove.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, at least one of the tubular cylinders comprises two portions which are semicircular in cross section, and the two portions are attached together to form the tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, each of the portions includes fasteners along their longitudinal edges, and the fasteners on one portion attach to the fasteners on the other portion to attach the portions together to form the tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the fasteners along one longitudinal edge of a portion are projecting tabs and the fasteners along the other longitudinal edge are grooves, and wherein the tabs of one of the portions frictionally engage into the grooves of the other portion to attach the portions together.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, both of the tubular cylinders each comprise two portions.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the assembly includes the drain inlet which is attached to the first end of the second tubular cylinder.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, an adjustable coupling assembly for adjustably spanning the distance between spaced but adjacent ends of two fluid conveying conduits comprises a first tubular cylinder which has a first end which is constructed to extend into the end of one of the conduits, and a second tubular cylinder which has a first end which is constructed to extend into the end of the other conduit. One of the tubular cylinders has an end which is constructed to extend into the other tubular cylinder. A spiral groove on one tubular cylinder extends over a substantial portion of the length of that tubular cylinder, and at least one projection on the other tubular cylinder is positionable to extend into the spiral groove, whereby when one tubular cylinder is rotated relative to the other tubular cylinder, the projection moves along the spiral groove to adjust the total combined length of the first and second tubular cylinders.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the projections are spaced from each other around the circumference of the tubular cylinder.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.